Due to the Recent Media Attention Around Loot Boxes

Sweden's public service radio broadcaster has highlighted the phenomenon of loot boxes in computer games this week and whether this could lead to negative consequences for players who spend money in individual games.

The Swedish Games Industry supports the position of the Swedish Lottery Inspection that lootboxes are not covered by the lottery legislation as it is not possible to exchange the content for money outside of the games. We are aware that trading of lootbox content happens on black markets. That is illegal and our members make all efforts to stop, through technological measures, termination of user accounts and otherwise.

Games companies constantly work to renew business models and to create new relevant playing experiences. Lootboxes of various shapes have been part of entertainment games for decades, in some cases by the player completing an element of the games, in others as pure chance. In some games lootboxes can be purchased through microtransactions. Sometimes the content is purely cosmetic, sometimes the content can make the game progress go faster. In mobile games, the purchase of loot boxes through microtransactions has been established for a long time, and this is how the development of many games is being financed. Most players never make in-game purchases, it is completely voluntary to spend money.

Therefore, it is unfortunate when the discussion around lootboxes is mixed with gambling, the sole purpose of which is to win money. Loot boxes are not lotteries and should not be included in the gambling legislation. It is unfortunate that these two distinctly different industries are mixed up.

Lootboxes exist to give the player a better experience, and the entire industry is constantly working to develop better games, better game design and better business models that players demand and appreciate.